Could milk be making you ill?

Could that bloated feeling you get after eating be down to lactose intolerance? Lactose intolerance is when the body cannot break down the sugars in cow’s milk.

Note – lactose intolerance is not to be confused with a milk allergy. A milk allergy can result in an Anaphylactic shock and can kill. If you have an extreme, adverse reaction to milk, seek immediate medical treatment.

It’s estimated that 40 percent of the world’s population retain the ability to digest lactose (the sugar that’s in milk) after childhood. Some ethnic groups are more susceptible that others. This is usually people who don’t typically have dairy (foods containing milk in their diets).

Symptoms of lactose intolerance include –

• An upset stomach
• Stomach cramps
• Wind
• Diarrhoea
• Nausea

Tip – If you think you have lactose intolerance, try removing dairy from your diet and see if you feel any better.

Remember, many things contain milk. This includes –

1. Cheese.
2. Many brands of crisps (chips in the USA), including ones you might not think of like Walkers smoky bacon.
3. Margarine.
4. Cakes, especially ones with cream.
5. Cereal bars.
6. Trifle.
7. Many dark chocolates.
8. Sauces, especially pasta sauces.

Milk has also been linked with a high rate of breast cancer and osteoarthritis in the West.

Are your makeup brushes made of fur?

We all know that cosmetics can be tested on animals, resulting in cruel experiments.

But were you also aware that your favourite makeup brushes may contain animal hair and even, would you believe it, fur?

Here are some facts –

1. Make up brushes can be made of horse hair. This hair comes from horses that are slaughtered first.
2. Squirrels are also hunted for their hair. This ends up in makeup brushes.
3. Mink and sable brushes come from these animals that are killed for their fur.
4. Goat hair is also used. The goats are shorn like sheep, but often the people doing it are paid by the amount of hair they can get and this can lead to goats being sheared so quickly that they sustain cuts, gouges and other injuries.
5. Brushes made with animal hair and fur, often cause skin irritation. Synthetic materials are kinder to the skin.
6. There are companies that don’t use animal by-products in their makeup brushes. They include The Body Shop, Urban Decay, Origins Natural Resources and Hard Candy. 

Tip - The more expensive the make up you buy, the more likely that the brush supplied with the product is made of fur.